Kermani wrote "Iran. Die Revolution der Kinder" (Iran. The children's revolution) in 2001, a result of reports and essays about Iran he has published for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. He also finished "Ein Leben mit dem Islam" (A life with Islam) in the same year.

The German state of Hesse had planned to hand its 45.000 euro Hessen Cultural Prize in July 2009 jointly to a Jew, a Muslim, a Catholic and a Lutheran to honour the cultural achievements of the monotheistic religions. Navid Kermani was chosen as the Muslim awardee. But Catholic Cardinal Karl Lehmann of Mainz, along with Peter Steinacker, former head of the Lutheran church of Hesse and Nassau, objected to sharing the state culture prize with him because Kermani had written an article about a crucifix, a principal symbol of the Christian religion, with, I'd express my personal rejection of the theology of the cross frankly with 'blasphemy and idolatry'.

The prize board then wrote to Kermani withdrawing its offer of the prize to him, an action called "childish" by the Central Council of Muslims.

Aiman A Mazyek, secretary of the council, explained to the Berlin newspaper Der Tagesspiegel: '"How would they have felt if a Muslim had refused to meet a churchman because he did not revere the Prophet Mohammed?"

The issue was later resolved. Lehmann, Steinacker, Kermani, and Salomon Korn, vice president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, received the price together on November 26, 2009. At that occasion, Roland Koch, then head of Hesse, appologized to Kermani for his actions.